Centrifuge bowl drive incorporating a pair of clutches



July 19, 1949*. I C. C, '5, Ev CLAlR 2,476,377 y CENTRIFUGE BOWL DRIVE INCORPORATING A PAIR OF CLUTCHES Filed Oct. 16, 1.944

A TTOR NE Y6' Patented `uly 19, 1949 y-CEN'IRIIWGrlI-BQWL DRIV-E INCORPOR'AT.-

ING AV FAIR I'OFCLUTCHES lCamille Glare fSprankling lLe Clair, Acton, London, England, .assignor Brentford, fgEngla'njQd, a corporation o'f .Great Britain to Tecalem'it limited,

Applicationl oetoberlis, 1944, sefia1N0. ,55s,ss1 vlI na!heat:Brita-.in N0vemberif29,.194..3

proved drive for thebowl ofsuch centrifugemai chnes.

A particular object of this vinventionis topprovide improved centrifuge machines foreleansllg lubricating oil -used .in rinternal lcombustion ...en-

gines, more especially those .of `aircraft andautomobiles. v

In such .applications of vcentrifuge maohineathe space available fora centrifuge machinegusually severely limited. .This lnecessitates the -use of a relatively small centrifuging bowl, 4so ,that V`in order that it may performits :functionsproperly it is necessary that the bowl shallfrun at.an .egi trernely high speed-at which speeds,quick acceleration and deceleration become impossible. y

In the application .of the inventionto internal ,1.

combustion engines, itwill usually: not. beA feasible to drive the machine by means of aseparatemotor and a drive has to be .takenlfromthe lmain `er1- gine. Such a drive, however,-not onlyv varies over a wide range of speed butalso frequently accel- 1T erates and decelerates quickly, farquicker than the high speed bowl o'f the centrifuge. cankpossibly follow, so Vthat la fixed speedratio cannot be maintained. Hence,.another object .oftheinvention is to provide. an elasticcouplinglbetweln L the drive and the centrifuginglbowlwhihjwill permit of a .change` of speed ratio 'takingplace According to the present invention, Aa centrifuge machine comprising a hollow centrifuge bowl lin which jliquids and oils are. cleansedloy centrifugal action, is characterised bythe feature that the bowl is rotated through clutch means which allows the driving meansto overrun the Abowl when theyspeedofthe said meansisiaecelerating, andv alsothrough other "clutch means which allows the bowl to overrun' itsdriving means when the speed of the'latter is 'deceleratingpr has stopped. Thus, the bowl may be driven byva driving means through a `safety or slippinggfric- Vtion clutch, which allows Ithe bowl; tolagbehi'n'd f vand thus gradually to acquire its `designed speed a. rheentrifugefbowmfis material vare -fre'silientlypressed.into contact with .a flange on the ,d-rivenbowl-S'llpporting ,spindle and also into Contact with upperand'lower mtal plates fOr-mingfparts ofthe clutch. I n the saine construction,y fthe centrifuge lbowl is vdriven ,through gearing including a primary or rstdr'iv'e gear wheel, which is 'driven "from Athe top i. e., driven) friction clutchlfplate .through a `freewheelclutch. `In this instance, the llatternis. Qf the type inciudmga Vnumber .of vrouers AWiner; are lodged in vspaced 'taperedihousings 4.formed Iin a boss on the said `top driveli.lolutch `plate and are lwedgedbetween the-bottoms ofsaidhousings and the wall-of a .circular recess formed in ia,.holl,o`vv boss on 'said first, drive gearwheelsurrounding the boss ,on thesaid top, driven, clutehplate.

It is also `preferred ,to (feed the liquid v.to be cleansed through ,the interior of a ,liollow.een .trifuee bowl suppcirtline `slzrllfle .upon whh .the bowl is turnably arranged, thebowl being Ydriven fat al muchlgreaterspedthan saidfdriving means through. a ltrain of 1. gearing :onnecting the said lfirst ldrivegear wheel to ethe-howl.

Further constructional features ,of the invention willV be. described hereina'fter` One constructonal for-m .oftheinventiom .ap-

plied `to 1a ,-centrifuging machine .foruse in 'the .cleansing of the lubricatineoil .of anairraften- .smeris showrlfbfy Way .0f .eXamp1e,.-Qn theaccom- Ipam/'ing :sheet of drawing,S,-W1-.1ereon:

Fig. lfisfaseetonal elevation of themachine; and

Fig.' 2 is a sectionakplanview' ofthe freelwheel drive between .the ,-.Safetyr slipping :clutch and' .the centrifugelhowl spindle.

Referring to the glrawings:

.gine ,camshaft not shown) l-through fa Vflfiolllioiw vdriving shaftf .5, thebottomfend of which provided with a gear-.wheel-adapted-t0 mesh with apinion on .thercamshaft vThe upperendlof the vhollow driving shaftfiis turnable-in a-bearing Jl varranged inthe bottornfclosure t8y of thea housing, the said f end fitting -.into, .f andA being -voperatively connected yto,vthe bottom 4,end-of the. centrifuge `bowl supporting, -Spindle 9 v-vvhioh lis, coaxial .with uthe drivingrsha-ft .and is.,v ho1low .from its bottom Y.end to 1a position .shortfof-- its tulp.I .end whereitbis turnably .arrangedin a- 4bearing |50 .provided in the @Overl f thehoilsirig. .Anoilsuppmpipe Hoon- ,.nected tothe engine.0il- .pump met shown) .is

tted in a hole inthepnon llat.y thebottomfennd of thehollow drivingsshaftl and thus ser-vrste 3 feed oil through the latter into the bowl supporting spindle 9, from which latter the oil can ow into the bowl through a number of ports I2 formed in the spindle.

At a distance above the flange I3 of the bearing I, in which the adjacent ends of the hollow driving shaft and centrifuge bowl supporting spindle are turnably arranged, the spindle is formed or provided with a ange I4 which acts as the driving member of a safety friction clutch of the plate or disc type. This clutch also comprises two discs I5 and I6 of fibre, fabric or like frictional material arranged on the said spindle above and below the driving flange. Below the bottom bre or fabric disc there is a metal bottom clutch plate Il (hereinafter referred to as a loose clutch plate) which is slidably arranged on the said spindle and which runs on the flange I3 of the bearing 'I. A metal top clutch plate I8 (hereinafter referred to as a xed clutch plate) is also arranged on the spindle 9 above the top fibre or fabric disc I5, this clutch plate serving to carry a number of spaced, downwardly-clepending pins I9 which project through holes 2li formed in the loose clutch plate Il. A coil spring 2I is arranged upon the part of each of the pins I9 which projects through the bottom clutch plate, the bottom end of each spring being supported by a washer 22 held on to the pin by a nut 23 screwed on to the latter. Thus, by tightening or slackening the nuts 23, the pressure exerted on the two bre or fabric discs I5 and I6 between the Xed and loose clutch plates I8 and II and the driving ange I4 can be adjusted. The clutch plates I8 and I'I will normally rotate at the speed of the driving shaft 5, but in the event of the resistance to rotation exceeding a predetermined torque the clutch will slip. The amount of torque to cause such slipping can be adjusted Iby means of the nuts 23 as mentioned above. l

A circular boss 24 formed on the top face of the fixed clutch plate I8 projects upwards into, and is turnable within, a circular recess 25 formed in a boss 26 projecting downwards from the bottom of a first drive gear wheel 21, which is rotatably mounted upon the centrifuge bowl supporting spindle 9 above the fixed clutch plate I8. The said boss 26 projects downwards through a hole formed centrally in a plate member 28 encircling the said spindle fitted and xed nonrotatably in a recess 29 formed in the housing just above the fixed clutch plate. A number of spaced, tapered notches 39, see Fig. 2, is formed in the periphery of the boss 24 on the top clutch plate, and in each of these notches there is a vertically-arranged roller 3 I which is normally forced towards the shallower end of said notch by a coil spring 32, whereby the roller is normally wedged between the bottom of the notch and the wall of the recess 25 in the boss 24 on the said first drive gear wheel 21. free-wheel clutch, whereby the gear wheel 2l is normally driven positively in the same direction, and at the same speed, as the centrifuge bowl supporting spindle 9 but which permits the gear wheel 2l to overrun the supporting spindle.

The first drive gear wheel 2'I meshes with a number of pinions 33 turnably mounted upon spaced spindles 34 fixed to, and projecting upwards from, the said fixed plate member 28. Each of the pinions is integral with, or attached to, a gear wheel 35 and these gear wheels mesh with a pinion 36 which is formed on a sleeve 31 turnably arranged upon the centrifuge bowl supporting spindle 9 above the rst drive gear wheel 21.

This arrangement provides a' 4 At its top end the sleeve 31 is formed with a flange 38 which is attached to the bottom wall of the hollow centrifuge bowl.

The centrifuge bowl used in this machine may be said to resemble two superimposed, hollow truncated cones 39 and 40 having their adjacent ends of larger diameter connected by the curved central part 4I of the bowl. The top of the bowl is formed with a large opening 42 and the bottom is formed by the said bottom wall to which the flange 38 on the sleeve 3l is attached. The ports I2 in the centrifuge bowl supporting spindle 9 provide communication between the interior of the latter and the interior of the bowl.

In operation, oil to be cleansed is forced axially upwards through the interiors of the hollow driving shaft 5 and centrifuge bowl supporting spindle 9, whence it ows through the ports I2 into tl e bowl 4 where it is centrifuged until it spills over the edge of the opening 42 in the top of the bovvi and is caught in the casing I whence it drains away through the clean oil outlet 3. Suspended matter is retained in the bowl, from which it can be scooped out by a curved sludge removal pipe c3 arranged in the casing. This pipe is adapted to be pivoted about one end 44 and whereas its opposite end is normally arranged outside the centrifuge bowl, that end, as shown in broken lines, can be swung downwards into the bowl through the hole 42 when it is required to remove any sludge that has collected.

The speed at which the bowl runs can be ar ranged to suit operating conditions, different oils and so on by suitably adjusting the ratio of the gears referred to above. In the case of the machine now being described, the gear ratio is such that the bowl 4 rotates at about four times the speed of the centrifuge bowl supporting spindle 9. When the engine is started, its acceleration is far greater than the centrifuge bowl can foilow and, consequently, the said safety friction clutch will slip, the driving flange I4 on the centrifuge bowl supporting spindle 9 slipping relatively to the two fibre or fabric discs I5 and lil. As the speed of the bowl increases to the designed operating speed, the slipping of the clutch decreases until eventually there is no slipping.

When the engine decelerates, the energy of the bowl is not dissipated by overcoming friction in the clutch, but the bowl is permitted to continue running at or near its full speed for some time by over-running the free-wheel clutch.

In a modification the free wheel clutch (or clutches) may be incorporated within some other member of the gear train such as the pinions gearwheels 35, or the nal pinion 3G.

I claim:

1. In a centrifuge machine comprising a hollow centrifuge bowl in which liquids and oils are cleansed by centrifugal action of matter suspended therein, means for driving the bowl comprising a driving member, a driven member attached to the bowl and rotatable relative to said driving member, first clutch means comprising a slipping friction clutch operatively associated with said driving member, and second clutch means comprising a free wheel clutch operatively associated with said first clutch means and with said driven member, said first clutch means being adapted to allow said driving member to overrun said ydriven member when the driving member is accelerating, and said second clutch means being adapted to allow said driven member to overrun the driving member when the latter is decelerating vor has stopped, and' a spindle connected td said driving iiii'nsy and tatable relative to said bowl, said dipping" friedenclutcn corri-prisme" a metal driving plate in fined'- relati on said spindle,- a pair of discs of frictiiial material each engaging a face f said plate; biasing means urging said discs and plat-es int'o friction-al driving engagement, arid adjust means to vary the pressure of said biasing in .for dntrolling the tordu@ transmittabl by 'said l-iitcli without rela"- tive slipping betw'eri 'said 'piate'v and dises'.

2. In a centrifuge iialiiiie comprising' a hollow centrifuge bowl in which liquids and oils are cleansed by centrifugal action df matter sus pended therein, means" for |dirvi-'rig the bowl cmpri's'iiiga; driving ieibei", a divenhr'nember attached to the bowl and rtatable relative to' said driving member, first clitei means' comprising a slipping friction clutch operatively associated with said driving member,` and second clutch means comprising a free wheel clutch operatively associated with said first clutchmeans and with said driven member, said first clutch means being adapted to allowlsaid driving member to overrun said driven member when the' driving member is accelerating, and said second clutch means being adapted to allow said driven member to' overrun the' driving member when the latter is decelerating or has stopped, and a spindle connected to said driving means and rotatable relative to said bowl, said slipping friction clutch cempr'ising a metal driving plate in xed relation on said spindle, a pair of discs of frictional material each engaging a face of said plate, a' fixed clutch plate and a loose clutch plate each rotats'tbli mounted o'n said spindle, said loose clutch plate having a plurality of apertures therein, a plurality of pins onsaid xed plate each projecting through an aperture in said loose plate, said driving plate and said discs being disposed between said flxed and loose clutch plates, a plurality of springs pressing on said loose clutch plate to urgefsaid driving plate, discs and xed plate into frctional driving engagement, each of said springs being mounted on one of said pins, and a nut screwed on each pin for adjusting the pressure of the spring mounted on said pin.

3. In a centrifuge machine comprising a hollow centrifuge bowl in which liquids and oils are cleansed by centrifugal action of matter suspended therein, means for driving the bowl comprising a driving member, a driven member attached to the bowl and rotatable relative to said driving member, rst clutch means comprising a slipping friction clutch operatively associated with said driving member, second clutch means comprising a free wheel clutch operatively associated with said rst clutch means and with said driven member, said first clutch means being adapted to allow said driving member to overrun said driven member when the driving member is accelerating, and said second clutch means being adapted to allow said driven member to overrun the driving member when the latter is decelerating or has stopped, a spindle connected to said driving means and rotatable relative to said bowl, and a gear train operatively connecting said driving means to said bowl for rotation of said bowl at a different speed than said spindle, said gear train including a primary drive gear wheel, a plurality of secondary gear wheels, a plurality of pinions engaging said primary drive gear wheel mounted on fixed spaced supports and in xed relation to said secondary gear wheels, and a final ldrive pinion connected to said bowl, each of said secondary gear" wnis ngtog wim. sind anar dri-vepinion,l l

4, in a centrifuge machine comprising ariouow cleansed by lcentifugal iietion of matter sus"-A pde'd therein,- Irieas driving 'the bowl comprising a drivirigiiemb, a dfiv'emmber attached to the bowl and rtatable" relative tdsaid driving' member, niet cliith means comprising a slipping f'rictier'i-v cldteh operatively associated with said driving member, Sieoiid clutch means comprising et free iis/Heel GIiitlipratl-vely asso#- ciated with said first cluteli means and with said driven member, said Hfst liiteli' Ieans being adapted to allow said diviiig'rnembeif t'o overrun said driven m"iiiber when the driving memberv is accelerating, and said Second' clutelimeans' being adapted to allow said `driven member to overrun the driving member' when the latter is decelerating or has' stopped, a-lioilw spindleebiinected to said driving ineans and rotatableielative to said bowl, and a port in said spindle providing com' munication between the interior thereof and said bowl for feedingl liquidor' eil inteftlfie bowl thrcmgliv said spindle 5. A centrifuge machine comprising in com-1 bination a housing: an'outlet frein said housing for centrifuged liquid;` a ntrifugebowl mounted within said housing arid having'a 'double vconical shape, said centrifuge bowl having an opening at the upper side thereof of less diameter than the diameter of the bowl at its widest pointl: means for driving said centrifuge bowl clilprising a driva ing member, a driven member attached to said bowl and rotatable relative to' salddriving" mem= ber,- rst clutch means cpeably associated with said driving member, and second clutch means operatively associated with said rst clutch means and with said driven member, said rst clutch means being adapted to allow said driving member to overrun said driven member when the driving member is accelerated, and said second clutch means being adapted to allow said driven mem--l ber to overrun said driving member when the latter is decelerated or has stopped; said driving member comprising in part a hollow spindle through which the liquid to be centrifuged enters said bowl; said spindle having ports communicating with said centrifuge bowl; and means for removing the sludge from said centrifuge bowl.

6. A centrifuge machine comprising in combination a housing; an outlet from said housing for centrifuged liquid; a centrifuge bowl mounted within said housing, said centrifuge bowl having an opening at the upper side thereof of less diameter than the diameter of the bowl at its widest point; means for driving said centrifuge bowl comprising a driving member, a driven member attached to said bowl and rotatable relative to said driving member, flrst clutch means operably associated with said driving member, and second clutch means operatively associated with said first clutch means and with said driven member, said rst clutch means being adapted to allow said driving member to overrun said driven member when the driving member is accelerated, and saidsecond clutch means being adapted to allow said driven member to overrun said driving member when the latter is decelerated or has stopped; said driving member comprising in part a hollow spindle through which the liquid to be centrifuged enters said bowl; and said spindle having ports communicating with said centrifuge bowl.

7. A centrifuge machine comprising in combination a housing; an outlet from said housing for c'en'trifuged liquid; a centrifuge bowl mounted within said housing, said centrifuge bowl having an opening at the upper side thereof of less diameter than the diameter of the bowl at its widest point; means for driving said centrifuge bowl comprising a driving member, a driven member attached to said bowl and rotatable relative to said driving member, rst clutch means operably associated with said driving member, and second clutch means operatively associated with said rst clutch means and with said driven member, said first clutch means being adapted to allow said driving member to overrun said driven member when the driving member is accelerated, and said second clutch means being adapted to allow said driven member to overrun said driving member when the latter is decelerated or has stopped; said driving member comprising in part a hollow spindle through which the liquid tc be centrifuged enters said bowl; said spindle having ports communicating with said centrifuge bowl; and means for removing the sludge from said centrifuge bowl, said last mentioned means comprising a pipe which enters said bowl through said opening.

8. A centrifuge machine comprising in combination a housing; an outlet from said housing for centrifuged liquid; a centrifuge bowl mounted within said housing, said centrifuge bowl having an opening at the upper side thereof of less diameter than the diameter of the bowl at its widest point; .means for driving said centrifuge bowl comprising a driving member, a driven member attached to said bowl and rotatable relative to said driving member, first clutch means operably associated with said driving member, and second clutch means operativen7 associated with said 8 first clutch means and'with said dri-ven member', said rst clutch means being adapted to allow said driving member to overrun said driven member when the driving member is accelerated, and said second clutch means being adapted to allow said driven member to overrun said driving member when the latter is decelerated or has stopped; said driving member comprising in part a hollow spindle through which the liquid to be centrifuged enters said bowl; said spindle having ports communicating with said centrifuge bowl; and means for removing the sludge from said centrifuge bowl, said last mentioned means comprising a pipe adapted to be entered into said bowl through said opening and which is pivotally mounted within said housing so that its position relative to said bowl may be adjusted.

CAMILLE CLARE SPRANKLING LEv CLAIR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 360,342 Evans Mar. 29, 1887 1,990,015 Allen Feb. 5, 1935 1,990,038 Lansing Feb. 5, 1935 2,019,745 Swennes Nov. 5, 1935 2,024,109 Nardone Dec. 10, 1935 2,060,835 Stratford et al Nov. 17, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 2,401 Great Britain Feb. 15, 1915 441,803 Great Britain J an. 27, 1936 

